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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Mars: The Free Human Cities

Let's return to metagame and faction design (and to my proposed Martian setting) again. Last time, I examined the Colonial army. This time, I want to explore the Free Human army.

Overview

The Free Humans live in the ruins of Ancient cities. Their technology consists of hand-crafting materials produced by ancient Fabricators: anti-gravity strips, crystaline field emiters, and super-hard, super-light synthetic sheets. From these, the Free Humans craft Blasters*, Electro-Javelins, Force-field shields, body armor and light flyers.

The Free Human forces should have an "ancient" historical look, and be easily kit-bashed from current historical plastics.

I want their organization to differ from the Colonials significantly enough to be interesting, but not be so weird as to seem ridiculous. I've given them Latin (-esque) names for now, but I may replace this terminology with some invented weird language later.

Equipment and Troop Types
The bulk of the Free Human army consists of infantry carrying one of the following types of equipment. Each type of troops is called a classus.

The Lanceatores: The Lanceators carry long-ranged Blast Pikes with a high rate of fire. They are protected by a small force field mounted in a shield, and light body armor. The Lanceatores' principal battle-field role is to supply suppression fire. Some Lanceators abandon their Blaster Pikes to man long range Blaster support cannons.** (These can be made from pike or spearman models, attaching a muzzle or crystal to the send of the spear.)

The Venatores: The Venatores carry Blaster carbines, good for shooting, but mostly for close-ranged firefight. They are protected by a small force field mounted in a shield, and light body armor. Their battlefield role consists of manuever and assault. Some Venatores replace their carbines with electro-javelins.*** (These can be made from any model with a shield, converting the other arm to carry a short gun.)

Scutarii: The Scutari wear heavy body armor and carry large forcefield shields. They are fearsome swordsmen. Their role is either to shield other troops with their heavy shields or to close and assualt enemy troops. The Scutarii also function as engineers, assembling large portable force field generators. (These can be made from swordsman models.)

These three troop types operate in various combined arms formations. They are supplemented by speciality troops, including:

Umbratores: The Umbratores carry special concealing fields, and specialize in scouting and reconassance.

Alares: The Alares are light cavaly carrying light force shields and Blaster carbines. They specialize in scouting and reconassance.

Cataphracti: The Cataphracti are heavy cavalry, specializing in assault and melee. They wear heavy armor, and carry large portable force field generators.

Dracones: Light anti-gravity transports.

Organization

The Free Humans' lowest level of organization is the manus (or Fireteam) consisting of three soldiers of the same type.

A Contubernium (squad) gathers two to four manus under a Decanus (Sergeant). In peacetime, a Contubernium consists entirely of manus of the same classus (type).

A Triad (platoon) consists of three permanent (peacetime) Contubernium: one of Lanceatores, one of Venatores, and one of Scutarii. In wartime, it may attach manus of different classi into temporary, mixed, Contubernium for combined arms purposes.

A Triarch (leutinant) commands the Contubernium. A Triarch usually has two aides. The Contubernium may have a manus of specialty troops in support. The Triarch may attach these troops to another squad, to his own command squad, or use them to operate independently. Some lucky Triads may have Dracones transports, one for each Contubernium and one for the command and support manus.

Three Triads constitute a Century, led by a Centurion. The Centurion leads his own manus of three men, and may have various units in support.

The Triad List
1 Triarch, with two aides. May be equiped as Lanceatores, Venatores, Scutari or Alares.

0-2 Support Manus
Umbratores
Alares
Cataphracti

0-5 Dracones: one for each game unit.

3 Contubernia of 1 Decanus and 2-4 manus. All three Contubernia must be the same size. There must be an equal number of Lanceatores, Venatores, and Scutarii manus in the Triad, but they may be assigned to Contubernia however the Triarch wishes. The Decani may be equipped as Lanceatores, Venatores, and Scutarii.

Any manus of Lanceatores may replace two figures with a Blaster support cannon (and two crew)
on a single round base.

Any one Venator per Venatores manus may be equipped with an electro-javelin launcher.

Any one manus of Scutarii may be replaced with a portable forcefield generator and three engineers on a single round base.

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*I'm renaming the Death Ray, as it's too similar to the Heat Beam.** LMG or HMG equivalent.*** Think, grenade launcher.